13.

G ARVEY

I drank the last of the water in my bottle and grimaced when the warmth hit my tongue.

I heard someone laughing behind me and turned to find one of the ladies Zoey had introduced me to smiling before she said, “I’ve found through the thirty-seven thousand years of work detail out here that it’s best to just finish the bottle from the start because it doesn’t help at all when the water you’re drinking is as hot as you are.”

“I’ll keep that lesson in mind,” I said as I tossed the empty bottle into the trash nearby. “Do you know where Zoey went?”

“She’s working in the greenhouse before it gets too hot,” another woman answered. “If you’re going over there, you might want to take her a few bottles of water. That girl doesn’t ever think to take care of herself, but she’s always on our ass, taking care of us.”

“I assume you take care of her right back?” I asked with a grin.

The woman scoffed before she said, “Of course. If we didn’t, she’d work night and day.”

“I’m sorry, but what’s your name again?” I asked as I walked past her.

“I’m Farrah, and that’s Marissa,” she said.

“You can call me Moe,” the woman across from Farrah said before she stuck her hand out to shake mine. She looked at the mud and dirt on it before she pulled it back and said, “It’s nice to meet you again.”

“You two were here yesterday, weren’t you?”

“Yep,” they answered in unison as they each stifled a grin.

“Although we missed the ant problem,” Farrah said with a shudder.

“I think Zane’s supposed to be taking care of that today, but if he isn’t able to, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you,” Moe said, frowning as she looked out over the grass outside the high tunnel. “I feel like there’s an army out there watching us.”

“There is, but they’re humans, not ants,” Farrah told her with a laugh. “Every eye in town is on us since Zoey announced what she was doing out here.”

“What hours do all of you work out here?” I asked.

“Right now, it’s just community service hours, and we do them as we can between our jobs and appointments, but as soon as she gets some of the houses finished, we’ll move in and have a rotating schedule,” Moe explained.

I looked over at the houses in different stages of construction and asked, “Any idea when those will be finished?”

“Zoey’s trying to cut costs, so she has a crew of friends and family that come in and do what they can in the evenings. She said that she should have the first two finished in the next week or so, and we’re on the list to move in when she does.”

“Does that woman ever sleep?” I muttered as I looked around at everything that was in progress and thought about everything else she’d have to do to get her business off the ground.

“Rarely. I think she lives on coffee and sarcasm,” Farrah answered.

“No doubt,” I agreed before I bent down and opened the cooler Zoey had filled with ice and bottled water before we left her house this morning. “I’m going to check on her, and then I’ll be back to help.”

“Take your time,” Moe encouraged. “This is menial stuff, but it’s kind of nice.”

“Make sure you take a break soon. It’s getting hot out here.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Farrah said eagerly. She rolled her eyes and said, “Someday, I’m going to quit addressing everyone like they’re prison guards.”

“It takes a while, but you’ll get there,” I assured her as I walked away. “Holler if you need me.”

“Will do,” Moe called out behind me.

The trek across the field shouldn’t have taken long, but I was looking for obvious signs of more ant colonies. I knew that even if I didn’t see any, they must be out here since there were so many yesterday when Zoey and Janis were attacked. I made a mental note to look up ways to prevent an infestation after the original problem was resolved.

I didn’t even think twice about how far in the future that task may be because, as of last night and this morning, I was all in to stay here forever as long as I could do it by Zoey’s side.

That is if I survived dinner tonight, which was doubtful. Most people worried about my extended family - the Forrester name was known for mayhem and loyalty at all costs, but the Dukes were like a sleeper cell on the edge of the Forrester family. They might seem a little more respectable and calmer, but looks could be deceiving and usually just meant that they just didn’t get caught doing nefarious things quite as often.

By this time tomorrow, the Dukes might be working their way around getting caught for my murder and disposing of my badly beaten body.

I finally arrived at the greenhouse, a building I’d been curious about since I’d seen it in the distance, and discovered that my assumptions had been right. Just like the smaller greenhouse behind Zoey’s home, this building was made completely of windows - all shapes and sizes framed together to make a large building full of light.

By the time I stepped through the door, Zoey had turned on her stool to watch my approach. I smiled when I saw the condition she was in. Of course, I probably didn’t look much better since I’d been working in the heat alongside her for a few hours and then for quite a while after she disappeared.

The messy bun she’d started with this morning was askew, and there was dirt streaked across her forehead and one cheek, but that didn’t detract from her beauty in the slightest.

“What’cha doin’, Forrester?” Zoey asked as I walked around the large table in the middle of the room to get to her. “If you’re looking for a cool place to take a break, this building is not it.”

I leaned down and gave Zoey a quick kiss before I handed her the bottle of water I’d brought and then watched as she drank more than half of it down before she poured the rest over her face.

As the water dripped off her chin onto her shirt, she smiled and said, “I did that yesterday and then Janis got the bright idea to cool off with the water hose. I’m not doing that again.”

“Please don’t,” I begged. “Your bites are looking better already. No sense in adding to their numbers. Speaking of that, have you talked to Janis today?”

“She finally called me back. Her parents took her to their house for a few days, at least until the majority of the swelling goes down. She’s already stir-crazy, worrying about her bakery and what’s going to happen while she’s gone.”

“She works at a bakery?”

“She owns a very popular bakery called Crumbs.”

“It’s too bad I can never eat there.”

“Why not? They’ve got the best kolaches in town.”

“I’d be afraid she might poison me.”

“You should probably worry about that on several fronts,” Zoey muttered before she picked up a white envelope and shook the contents into her palm. “Are you still freaking out about dinner tonight?”

“A little bit.” I laughed before I admitted, “Okay, that’s a lie. I’m freaking out a lot. Your dad is not the kind of man I’d ever want to cross, and off the top of my head, I can think of about a dozen ways I’ve crossed him.”

“You don’t have to go.”

The tone of Zoey’s voice perked up my radar, and I asked, “Do you not want me to go?”

“I don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.” Zoey didn’t look at me even when I rested my hand on her shoulder, and I wondered what was going through her mind. Knowing her, it would take an act of God to get her to tell me what she was worried about. If she was angry, she had no problem speaking her mind, but when she was scared or worried, she clammed up. Apparently, this was happening right now. “If it’s too much for you to have to deal with my parents, you can skip dinner, and I’ll deal with them.”

“Why would I do that?”

“I don’t want them to run you off or anything,” Zoey said with a forced laugh. As she dropped two seeds into each of the small containers in front of her, she said, “I can deal with my . . .”

“You think your mom and dad are going to run me off?”

“I was thinking about everything that’s happened to you in the last day or so and thought it might be too much. If things don’t settle down soon, you might decide that staying here isn’t worth it, so I just . . .”

“Zo,” I interrupted as I leaned over her shoulder so that my face was next to hers. “I’d rather you tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours so I don’t have to guess and be wrong about it.”

“I’m just saying that you’ve already been through a lot since you got home and maybe you need a break.”

I kissed her cheek before I said, “Or maybe you think that it’s all going to get to me and I’m either gonna fuck up and get high or run away with my tail tucked between my legs.”

“No!” I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t move either. Zoey finally admitted, “Maybe that’s what I think, but I don’t want to.”

“I don’t blame you for thinking that, Zo. I don’t blame you at all. I let you down so many times that I’m lucky that you even let me breathe the same air as you. The thought that you could so easily forgive me was definitely too good to be true. You’re going to have doubts and worries, and it’s up to me to prove that I’m not the guy you remember.”

“I like to remember you the way you were before,” Zo said, her voice so quiet that I could barely hear her. “I loved my Gravy - the funny guy who always had a smile on his face. I didn’t really like the guy he turned into, and I’m not sure about the guy he is today.”

“Everyone changes, especially when they’ve been through addiction and are serious in their recovery. Add the prison gig to it, and I’d say I’m not like either one of the men you knew. I’m the new and improved version.”

Zoey giggled and said, “I must admit that this morning's couch adventure was much improved from the old ones.”

“Is that so?” I asked in mock outrage. “Wow, not only was I a schmuck who broke your heart, but I did it while sucking in bed.”

“You didn’t completely suck, I just didn’t know any better.”

I didn’t want to think about what that meant because I hadn’t exactly been a monk since my release, but it still stung more than I’d like to admit.

“I’m still your Gravy, as much as I hate that fucking nickname, but I’d like to think I’m a much better man and would like the chance to prove that to you.”

Zoey leaned to the side and turned her head so that we were almost nose to nose before she said, “Please don’t break me, Gravy. I don’t know if I can take it again.”

“Do you regret what we did this morning?” I asked as I slowly stood up, trying to give her some space so she could express herself.

Zoey’s head tilted back as she followed my progress, and suddenly, she fell against my body. At first, I thought she was trying to get closer to me, but when her eyes got wide and started darting around so rapidly that it scared me, I realized there was something wrong.

“Shit shit shit,” Zoey muttered as she grabbed at the edge of the table, knocking a few of the small plastic containers over in the process. When she finally got a good hold, she whispered, “Push me up. Sit me up. Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked frantically as I used my body to push her forward so that she was sitting upright.

Zoey shook her head and moaned before she forced out a long breath and then inhaled through her nose. She blew it out through her mouth and then did the same thing a few times, including the whimpering moans, before she finally tilted her head side to side a few times.

“Sorry about that,” she mumbled before she took another deep breath. She looked back down at what she was working on and said, “Now my count is off. Will you hand me five of the two-and-a-half-inch pots from that stack over there?”

I tried to reach the stack she was talking about but couldn’t get to it without moving away from her. Zoey noticed my hesitation and sighed as she shook her head. I turned away to grab what she wanted, and when I turned back to face her, she was hard at work again, dropping seeds into the pots that were already filled with soil.

I knew from experience that she’d talk about what was going on in her own time and no amount of probing on my part would get her to open up, so I looked around the greenhouse instead of staring at her - also something she couldn't stand.

I was shocked at the number of small pots spread out over the tables and lined up on the shelves that covered three walls so they could get the most benefit from the sunshine each day. I drifted off, glancing over my shoulder at Zoey now and then to make sure she was okay, and knew she was actively ignoring me now, which meant she was mulling things over and definitely not ready to talk.

There were trays filled with the pots, each marked with the type of flower that would be planted there. I recognized most of the flower names but couldn’t have picked them out in nature even if I tried. However, I knew that if I asked Zoey about them, she could give details about each one.

Since she obviously didn’t want to explain what happened a few minutes ago, I asked, “How does this work?”

“Well, you take a tiny seed and drop it in the soil before you give it just enough water to thrive and then it grows into a healthy plant.”

“Smartass,” I muttered.

“We start the seeds in these trays and separate them out to the necessary environments that will help them germinate. Those over there with the domes are some I started yesterday that need heat and no light, and the ones I’m working on now don’t need anything special.”

“What happens once they start growing?”

“We move them to a different area and give them time to get strong before we either continue growing them or sell them as seedlings for someone else to grow.”

“And you’re going to do this on a commercial scale?” I looked around and laughed before I said, “Obviously, you already are.”

“This is barely the tip of the iceberg, Gravy. Wait until you see what else we’ve got in the works.”

“I thought I was getting a tour this morning, but I was put to work instead.”

“Tours can wait. When a willing and able person who is strong enough to do some heavy lifting is available, I take advantage of it.”

“I’m yours for as long as you want me,” I said sincerely. Zoey looked up from the seeds she was sifting through, and I knew she understood that I didn’t just mean for physical labor. “I hear you’ve got some work to do on the houses before the first ladies can move in.”

“I do. We get the professionals to put in the foundation and build the frame along with all of the electrical, gas, and water, and then we’ll take it from there and complete the house ourselves to save on costs.”

“You’re going to do the interior?”

“From the studs out,” Zoey said with a big grin. “As soon as the insulation is sprayed in, the rest of the building is on us.”

“It looks like you’re at a stopping place. Take a break and show me,” I ordered as I reached for her hand. “We’ll see how much I remember from my construction days.”

Zoey looked down at her hand and then mine before she shrugged. “We’re both filthy, so why not?”

I noticed she was limping more than she had yesterday, so I asked, “Does your leg hurt?”

“Not any more or less than it usually does,” she answered vaguely as we walked out to the golf cart she used to get around.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and how it happened?”

“It happened when I pulled over a guy who really didn’t want a ticket.”

“I know there’s more to it than that.”

“I was attacked by two men. One of your Time Served MC guys rescued me.”

“I’m not technically part of that MC.”

“Why not? I thought they only took members from the compound where you were living.”

“They do, but I didn’t try to join.”’

“Why not?” I asked as I looked around the property and saw the flags set out for the rest of the houses and the trails that were left from the installation of the gas, water, and electric lines.

“Because when I was a kid, I always assumed that if I did join an MC, it would be the Texas Kings. My loyalty was still to them.”

“I grew up wishing I could join my dad’s MC, but he wasn’t having it. Neither were the other men in the Kings, so we created our own.”

“I heard about that, and I think it’s awesome.”

“Gamma told you all about it, didn’t she?”

“I got updates in every letter. She’s proud of all of you.”

“That means a lot to us, but you know that.”

“I do. I never knew my grandparents on my mom’s side since they died before we were born, but I loved my grandparents on my dad’s side. It hurt when we lost them, but Smokey and Martha stepped in to fill their roles.”

“Your grandfather was Papa Smokey’s brother right?”

“Yes. His much older brother.”

“All of my biological grandparents died well before Zane and I were born, so we grew up with Papa Smokey and Gamma and then Tinkie and Nana.”

“You still call him Tinkie?”

Zoey shrugged before she said, “Most of the time. I think it’s cute.”

“Tink and Sandra are awesome.”

“They are. I can’t imagine what life would have been like without them,” Zoey said as she stopped the golf cart in front of the house closest to the office. “This is going to be the first house we finish.”

“It looks like something out of a Hallmark movie.”

“You watch those?”

“Only when I have no other choice,” I grumbled.

The modest house had white metal siding with cheerful turquoise trim that matched the decorative shutters on the windows. A bright yellow flower box was beneath each window, and I could see the greenery from the small plants that were thriving there, probably something colorful if I knew Zoey. The details made the house look picturesque, and the turquoise door that matched the trim gave it even more cheer.

“Anyone would be thrilled to live in this house, but I imagine that the women who have the opportunity will appreciate it more than most.”

“I hope they love it and they’re proud to live here,” Zoey said happily. “But I most want them to be proud of themselves.”

“What made you decide to help ex-cons? Most people don’t really think about how many women are incarcerated, and when they do, they seem to judge them more harshly than they do the men.”

“Janis has a program that helps women who have recently been released find jobs and stay out of prison, and through that, I’ve gotten to know several women who were willing to do the work to get their lives back on track. They help out at the castle now and . . .”

“The castle?”

“You weren’t around for that shock, but to put it simply, Lark is a gajillionaire and owns half the country club neighborhood. She inherited it from her birth mother’s family when she turned eighteen. She got a monstrosity of a house with all the outbuildings and land to go with it and turned that into our base of operations. Our clubhouse is above Gamma’s diner, and we do a lot of work from there, but we usually socialize at the castle where many of the girls live.”

“Meaning the ones from your club or the women you’re trying to help?”

“One of the women, Starla, was living in Lark’s barn because she was so uncomfortable at the home the state put her in after she got out. Apparently, it was cramped and impersonal. She longed for her own space to thrive, so Lark let her move into the apartment above the barn. Talking to Starla is what gave me the idea to start this place.”

“And your love of gardening gave you the means to do it.”

“Oh, no. It would take a million plant sales to build one of these houses. The majority of what we’ve done so far is from donations and money I’ve saved over the years.”

“I’ll be able to help with that through grants and other avenues once I understand your vision and what it is you need.”

“You’re really going to stay and help me, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“I want to believe that you’re in this for the long haul, Gravy, but it’s hard for me to do since you disappeared so completely for all that time.”

“I understand your hesitation, Zo, and it’s probably going to take me a long time to prove to you that I mean what I say, but I’m willing to put in the work to do it.”

“Good.”

“And the first step in putting the work in is going to dinner at your parents’ house and coming out alive.”

“That’s going to be a challenge.”

“And it’s one I’m ready for.” I winced before I added, “Or at least I think I am.”